Flu season makes impact across Colorado

Florence Wilkins

According to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this season's flu vaccine is 36 percent effective overall against influenza and 25 percent effective against the predominant strain (H3) causing most of the infections in MS and the United States.

The latest weekly flu report from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 39 states still experiencing "high activity" at clinics and hospitals related to the flu, four less states that the previous report.

The flu shot, the CDC said, was just 36 percent effective this season, and it only prevented about 25 percent of illnesses stemming from the influenza A H3N2 strain that has hit patients particularly hard this year.

The agency is considering whether there should be greater investment in alternative processes, such as cell-based or recombinant approaches to vaccine development.

Officials say that Doctors in Texas are now seeing more of the type B flu and less of type A as the season begins to peak.

After two years, the nasal flu vaccine, sold under the trade name FluMist, will return to doctors' offices.

However, the CDC says consumers should still take steps to protect themselves against the flu and get the flu shot.

This year, the current flu outbreak is the H3N2 Influenza A strong.

In some cases, the spray vaccine offered only 3 percent protection for children between ages 2 and 17, compared with up to 63 percent effectiveness from the shot. The vaccine was also 42% effective for those who fell ill with influenza B. Also, viruses grown in eggs are also more likely to mutate, which makes it challenging to create a targeted vaccine.

So why did this season's vaccines not deliver higher protection against H3N2? We're also looking at the difference in effectiveness in people 65 years and older who were vaccinated with high-dose influenza vaccine and adjuvanted influenza vaccine to see if effectiveness was better than in those vaccinated with standard dose vaccines.

The nasty flu season has brought more attention to the flu shot. One theory is that people might require a higher amount of H3N2 antigen to elicit a proper immune response to that particular strain of influenza. And the proportion of outpatient visits for flu-like illness in Georgia was 11.9 percent, down from 15.2 percent. The WHO recommends vaccination for global travelers for 21 Brazilian states, and the group is closely monitoring for signs that new areas are at risk. Our aim is to make sure we continue to improve the effectiveness of future flu vaccines, and encourage more people to seek vaccination.

"We're seeing the flu in everybody, of all ages". Only the U.S. Virgin Islands reported no cases.

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